Psychosomatic Medicine Interest Groups

The American Psychosomatic Society will sponsor the development of Psychosomatic Medicine Interest Groups (PMIGs) at three medical schools (U.S. and International) during the academic year 2015-2016.

These competitive awards will fund and guide innovative efforts to foster interest in psychosomatic medicine among medical students, residents, and other clinical trainees. The award for one year includes $1,500 per interest group for PMIG activity related expenses and up to $500 for travel to the 2016 APS Annual Meeting. Each PMIG is expected to integrate or use web-based technology to deliver content material, curriculum, lectures and facilitate maximum distribution of the PMIG project. Activities encouraged are dynamic journal clubs, interactive lectures and seminars, development of model curricula, and other academic projects all using the web based technology.

Objective data and outcome collection of the PMIG project is required, using instruments such as pre and post questionnaires, evaluation forms, and written feedback. It is the expectation of the PMIG selection committee that by March of 2016 sufficient activity has been generated and collected from the PMIG award to allow provisional data and results to be presented at the 2016 March APS Annual Meeting which will be held in Denver, Colorado from March 9-12.

The goals of the award are to: 1) facilitate interest in psychosomatic medicine among medical students and other trainees; 2) promote education and research collaborations in psychosomatic medicine at the institution; 3) integrate web based teaching tools and/or on-line curriculums that may further enhance the education resources of the APS; 4) recruit promising physicians and young researchers into the American Psychosomatic Society; 5) cultivate the career paths of students interested in psychosomatic medicine; and 6) establish the feasibility of developing interest groups at a larger number of medical schools and clinical institutions.

Interim and Final Progress Reports of the PMIGs will be required for full appropriation of funds.

The applicant must commit to present the findings and outcome of the PMIG award, in person, to the Membership Committee at the March 2016 APS Annual Meeting.

The Psychosomatic Medicine Interest Group (PMIG) section of the APS website provides the central resource for all who are planning or running PMIG's. The goals of the PMIG's are to: 1) facilitate interest in psychosomatic medicine among medical students and other trainees; 2) promote education and research collaborations in psychosomatic medicine at that institution; 3) recruit promising physicians and young researchers into the American Psychosomatic Society; 4) cultivate the career paths of students interested in psychosomatic medicine; and 5) establish the feasibility of developing interest groups at a larger number of medical schools.